Little Moments: Season 9
by IMPeak123
Summary: A continuation of the series, picking up where the episodes leave off. Callie and Arizona's story, focusing on the little moments in their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Little Moments: Season 9 **_

_**Let the Tears Fall **_**(Chapter 1):**

Callie closed the bedroom door, sucked in a much needed breath, and let the tears fall. The physically exhausted and emotionally brunette leaned against the door and just cried. She'd been doing that a lot lately. She tried to keep it together, especially at work or around Sofia. But sometimes, she couldn't help the overwhelming sense of loss and devastation that took over her whole being. Sometimes she couldn't help the sorrow that lingered in her heart, knowing her best friend would never walk through the door again with their beloved baby in his arms…knowing her wife may never walk at all, and that their happy, almost perfect life would never be the same. Sometimes it was all just too much.

Callie sighed a heavy sigh as she turned her limp body towards the door again. The weight of the world was on her shoulders, and the one person who could always make it better hated her right now. More than anything, Callie wanted to burst through that door, take her wife's beautifully sad, sweet face in her hands, and kiss her with all of the love she had inside. Maybe then, Arizona would get it. Maybe then, she would understand that there was never any other choice. Maybe then, she would realize that her life was still worth living.

The brunette pressed her forehead against the cold slab of wood, knowing deep down in her heart that things would never go that way. Arizona wasn't ready, or willing, to deal with anything at all. She would just push Callie away again. And Callie wasn't strong enough for more than one battle that night. She had just returned home from the hospital she used to love- the place she and Mark used to pick Sofia up and walk home from every night…the place she used to share lunches, and visits to the daycare, and on-call room trysts with her wife. Now Mark was dead, and Arizona was living as if she was dead too. The tears fell once more, hard and fast, like the incessant beating of Callie's broken heart.

On the other side of the door, Arizona could hear the heavy sobs being stifled by the woman she loved. She could hear the sniffles, and sighs, and quiet moans that normally would make her feel as if someone removed her own heart and broke it in two. But her heart was already broken. She didn't have room for anyone else's sorrow. She didn't have room to worry about how Callie was feeling, or think about how Mark was removed from life support hours earlier, or remember that she had a little girl who needed her. She didn't have room for anything but anger, despair, and self-destruction. Arizona had chosen the path of blame, and self-pity, and defeat. Mentally and emotionally, her physical state had taken its toll, and the blonde had chosen her path. She wasn't a woman easily swayed.

The cries on the other side of the door came to an abrupt halt, and Arizona turned her head and rested it on the pillow. She closed her eyes, willing the tears not to build behind them. She wasn't going to cry. She didn't care about anything or anyone. Her life was over. She would never heal tiny humans again. She would never teach Sofia to use the toddler sized Heelies that were hidden in the top of the closet for Christmas. She would never be the woman her gorgeous wife had married. She would never be whole again.

Like it or not, tears fell from the desolate, blue eyes that were once filled with joyful light. Arizona buried her face deeper into the pillow, unwilling to let Callie hear the sorrow for fear that the brunette may try to comfort her…and more so, that she may let her. No. The walls would not be coming down anytime soon.

"Sofia's up from her nap," Callie announced, suddenly breaking the blonde from her melancholy thoughts.

Arizona could hear her daughter's sweet voice as she babbled to the stuffed leopard she carried with her everywhere. For a split second, she thought about trying to get out of bed and spend some time with Sofia. But that would mean letting Callie in.

When she received no response, the brunette cracked open the door. Sofia was on her hip, snuggling into her shoulder. "Arizona…did you hear me? The baby's up…"

"Mama," Sofia cried, lunging forward to try and get to the woman she adored.

Callie leaned down to place Sofia on the floor, hoping Arizona would at least let their daughter love her tonight.

But the blonde couldn't. She just couldn't allow even the smallest fragment of joy into her life. She only made eye contact with the baby for a split second before she chose to shut the world out once more. "No," Arizona yelled as she turned her head away from her girls. "I don't want to see her."

She regretted the words the instant they left her mouth, her heart shattering as much as the woman whose horrified gasp filled the air. Arizona Robbins loved that little girl more than anything, and she despised herself for the pain she was inevitably causing her daughter. Callie was right earlier. Sofia had just lost a parent. The daddy she loved and depended on was gone forever. It wasn't fair. And it certainly wasn't fair that Sofia's mama was leaving her too. Yes…Arizona Robbins hated herself.

"Arizona, please…you, y-you don't mean that," Callie insisted, brown eyes filled with tears. "Please, honey. She just needs to know you're here. You don't have to be all cheery, o-or pretend everything's okay. Just hold her for a few minutes. Let her know her mama hasn't disappeared too."

"I can't, Calliope," Arizona whispered, locking eyes with the brunette. In that moment, there was no blame, or anger, or hatred. There was just the two of them, blue eyes reflected in brown as their souls briefly connected. "Please, take her out of here. She doesn't need to see this- see _me _like this."

"Yes. Yes, she does," Callie stated, staring deep into the endless ocean of blue before her. "She needs to see you, no matter what. She needs to see that her mama is still here, even if she isn't quite the same. She needs to see that it's okay that you're not the same…that you're still the same woman who has loved her and cared for her since you first got her heart beating. _You_ need to see that, Arizona. Why can't you see that? Why can't you see that it doesn't matter? You are still you. You are still a doctor, and Sofia's mother, and my wife. You are still the same person you always were…"

"No I am not," Arizona screamed, the shrill sound of her voiced startling Sofia. The little girl clung to her mommy's leg, turning away from the blue eyes she had been trying to reach. "How dare you. How dare you say it doesn't matter? How dare you come in here and tell me that I'm the same. I am not the same. I can't walk. I can barely get myself from one place to another…"

"Because you're not trying," Callie said, teeth gritted as not to yell back. "You have to get up, out of that God-forsaken bed, and start trying. Try to balance. Try to use the wheelchair, or the crutches, or me. Lean on _me_, Arizona. That's what I'm here for."

"Oh, really?" the blonde questioned, shooting daggers with her eyes. "I thought you were here to break promises and make terrible, horrible decisions, and ruin my life."

Callie inhaled sharply, fists clenched at her sides. She wasn't going to win this battle anytime soon. The brunette looked down at Sofia, whose little body was beginning to tremble. She had never heard her mama yell like that before. No matter what they were going through, it wasn't fair to subject Sofia to this.

"I'm going to fix us some dinner. I'll bring your plate in when it's ready," Callie said, her voice emotionless as she slammed the door shut behind her.

Arizona buried her head deep into her pillow, blocking her airways enough that she was struggling to breath. Maybe it would be better for everyone that way. Maybe they could all be put out of their misery if she just ended it now.

But then she heard something. Her head lifted off of the pillow and her ears perked in the direction of the most beautiful sound. Callie had music playing in the kitchen, just like every other night when she made dinner. Sofia was dancing around with her leopard. The blonde didn't have to see it to know the scene that was playing out…only this time, without her presence. And then she heard it again- the wonderful, joyful sound of her daughter's laughter. It filled the air and her heart…and in that moment, Arizona Robbins knew she couldn't give up.

She glanced across the room at the picture of her brother that sat on the dresser. Timothy stared back at her, not with pity or disgust, but with courage and determination. _"We are fighters, Arizona. Robbins' don't give up," _he seemed to tell her, his blue eyes mirroring her own.

But today was only one of many in a long line of battles, and Arizona knew that. She was too stubborn to cope with reality just yet, so she would continue to fight anyone and everything that got in the way of her self-destruction. She was going to have to hit rock bottom before she could even consider coming back up.

Arizona threw back the covers and looked at the space where he left leg used to be. She thought about Mark and the space across the hall where he would never be again. Mark- a person she had somehow grown to love very much, was gone. He was never coming back. For him, the battle was over.

Once again, her insides filled with utter disgust. Not because she had an ugly stump where the long, slender leg she used to wrap around Callie's body once resided. Not because life had handed her a crappy hand, and it would take months of hard work and perseverance to do all the things she once took for granted. No…Arizona was disgusted with herself. Any hatred Callie felt coming towards her at the moment paled in comparison to the pure revulsion she felt whenever she looked in the mirror.

Arizona had already won the hardest battle of all- the fight to stay alive. She had made it out of the plane crash alive. She had come home to her wife and daughter. She should be grateful for that. The blonde no longer felt the tears that were streaming down her face, her body and soul so numb to the pain. She stared at the door- the pathway to her life. She just stared and cried her silent tears until once again, that door was opened.

Arizona sat up straight and tried to wipe the evidence of her emotional journey from her face before Callie could see. But Callie saw everything. She understood every move the blonde was making, and no matter how hard it all was for her, she promised them both that she would stick it out. Just as she had promised her wife on their wedding day. _For better or worse…in sickness and health…til death do us part._

Calliope Torres wanted so badly to take away her wife's pain…to comfort her, and hold her, and just love her. Because she would always love Arizona. The woman was her soul mate…the _one_…the love of her life.

"Dinner's ready," the brunette whispered, averting her eyes from the saddest shade of blue she had ever seen.

Callie expected to be yelled at, or told to leave, or have something thrown at her. But instead, Arizona simply mumbled, "thank you."

"You're welcome," Callie replied as she placed the tray of food down on the small table her wife had been keeping next to the bed. She offered Arizona a small smile, then wiped the remaining tears from her pale cheeks. "It's your favorite," the brunette whispered, gesturing to the plate of food. "Please, try and eat a little."

Arizona nodded and worked her way closer to the table. She turned her head when she heard Sofia calling out from the high chair. "Mommy…cup, Mommy," she called, pointing to the sippy cup she had dropped on the floor.

"Be right there, baby," Callie hollered, glancing at the little girl over her shoulder.

"Hi…h-hi baby g-girl," Arizona stammered, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of their daughter.

The blonde's voice was so low, she wasn't sure Callie had even heard her. But the smile on her wife's face let her know she did.

"Hi, Mama," Sofia screamed, waving wildly with a big grin plastered across her face.

"Well, I'd better get back to her," Callie said, meeting Arizona's eyes again briefly. "You should eat and, a-and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day."

Arizona didn't try to hide her tears this time. She let them fall, taking one tiny step towards letting her wife in. "Goodnight, Calliope," she whispered as Callie made her way out of the door.

"Goodnight, Arizona," Callie whispered back. And out of the corner of her eye, the brunette swore she saw a small smile form on her wife's lips. It was only there a second, but that smile filled Callie's heart with hope, and love, and life. Tomorrow was going to be a new day.

_**A/N: Okay, so I just couldn't not write a little moments after this week's episode. Had to spend every free moment of my time to get this chapter out, but it was soooo worth it! Can't stop thinking about the journey our girls are going to take, and only hope that it ends up being an amazing season for Sara and Jessica, as well as Callie and Arizona! Please take a moment (if you can) to let me know what you thought about this chapter. I really tried to pour my heart and soul into it, and take the SL where I could see it going. Hope you all liked it. Happy Grey's Season 9 and Happy Fall! My favorite time of year. Love the leaves here in New England, Halloween is totally my favorite holiday, and me and my love are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary! What could be better about October? Hope life is good to all of you, thanks for reading.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Little Moments: Season 9 **_

_**Waking in the Woods (Episode 2):**_

Callie Torres sat at her wife's bedside for three hours before she moved. She was afraid to shift the weight of her weary body around. She was afraid to swallow. Afraid to breath. Arizona was asleep, and the brunette who valued her life more than anything was deathly afraid of her waking.

Of course, she wanted her wife to wake up. She wanted to spend the rest of her days with the blonde Peds surgeon- save patients, raise children, grow old together, But there was a fear resonating deep within Callie, and she desperately hoped that Arizona would stay asleep a few more hours- postpone the inevitable truth from coming out. Callie made the choice to have her wife's leg removed. And if given the choice again, she would choose amputation every time. But she broke a promise, and she didn't know how easily Arizona would forgive her.

Callie was suddenly broken from her thoughts when she heard a light tapping at the door. She glanced behind her, still trying so hard not to rouse the beautiful, peacefully sleeping blonde. It was Bailey. Callie waved her in ever so gently, whispering, "Shhh," to Arizona, like they would their daughter.

Miranda Bailey could see the tension in Callie's body…the anxiety, the fear, the guilt. She walked up behind Callie and laid a hand down on her shoulder as she looked over Arizona, assessing her medical condition and searching for a sign that she would be alright.

"How is she?" Bailey asked as she slid into the chair opposite Callie and scanned the monitors. "Looks like her BP and Oxygen levels are almost in the normal range."

"Yeah, stats are okay," Callie breathed out, her hushed voice barely audible. "They've got her on Heparin to prevent thrombosis and clotting. She's still on triple antibiotics for the infection, but it's too early to tell how effectively they're working. She's…sh-she's definitely not out of the woods just yet," Callie stammered, her nervous tone followed by an almost maniacal chuckle.

The irony of that statement made it impossible for the brunette not to crack up. Arizona was very much still _in the woods_, every day haunting her like the terrifying experience following the plane crash.

"What's so funny?" Miranda asked, eyebrows raised in confusion. The older doctor stared at her friend as she laughed wildly, the stress of the situation clearly getting to her. "Maybe you should get some sleep, Callie," she suggested. "I can stay with her and…"

"No. No sleep," Callie stated, matter-of-factly. There would be no budging on this. She was not leaving her wife for even a split second. Not lying down on the cot and getting some rest. Not taking her eyes off Arizona for a minute.

"She's going to hate me, Bailey," Callie said after a moment of silence. "She's been begging me for weeks now to do something…to, to help her get better and get out of this damn hospital in once piece. She was so upset and I…I-I promised her that…"

Just then, Arizona's eyes fluttered open for a second and her body trembled as if she were still out in that freezing, cold forest. "Mark…don't go to sleep, Mark," the blonde mumbled before exhaustion began to take over again.

"Shhhh," Callie whispered again, placing a tender kiss to her wife's forehead as she pulled the blankets up around her fragile, injured body. "Muy bien, eres mi amor. Todo va a estar bien," the brunette told Arizona, making her a promise she would hopefully be able to keep this time.

Miranda Bailey didn't know much Spanish, but she could hear the emotion in her friend's voice. Callie Torres loved her wife with all of her heart, and she desperately needed Arizona to be okay. That was as plain to see as the stars shining in the night sky.

Bailey reached across the bed and squeezed Callie's hand. "She's going to be just fine, Torres," she said with confidence. "She is way too stubborn and pig-headed to let this accident beat her. Come on, now…"

"Physically, I know she'll be fine," Callie replied, her words once again followed by terrified laughter. "Well, as fine as anyone can be with _one_ leg."

"Yes. She's going to need therapy. Lots of it," Bailey said, glancing at the empty space where Arizona's left leg used to be. "It may take months of work, but with a prosthetic…"

"She didn't want a prosthetic, Bailey," Callie screeched, inadvertently raising her voice.

Arizona moved again, the sudden noise startling her from her slumber. "What? Where…w-where am I?" she yelled as she tried to sit up. "Mark….wake up, Mark. Don't die on me. Please, don't leave me. I'm scared and, a-and…"

"You don't need to be scared, sweetie," Callie assured her wife, holding a pale hand within her own. "I'm here. And Mark-well, let's not…" Callie trailed, not wanting to tell her wife that Mark had slipped back into a coma while she was in surgery. "You talked to Mark on the phone this morning, remember? He loves you, Arizona. And he, h-he wants you to get better."

But Arizona wasn't coherent. She wasn't living in present time. As Callie had so perfectly put it, she was _not_ _out of the woods_. She was stuck, reliving her traumatic situation over and over again. Her mind, coupled with the anesthetics and pain killers, prevented her from waking up to reality just yet. And as hard as it was to watch her love fight the memories, Callie was grateful. At least, Arizona didn't know about her leg just yet. Or about Mark. Callie wished she didn't know about those things either.

"Poor thing," Bailey whispered, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat as she listened to Arizona cry out. "I don't know what it was like out there in those woods, Callie. But I saw them all in that hospital in Idaho. Every single one of them was like this then. Crying and screaming about bugs, and wolves, and who needed what medical treatment. Meredith didn't even realize that Lexie had…"

"Lexie's dead," Arizona supplied, momentarily appearing as if she had woken up and joined the conversation. But she was merely picking up on the auditory information her brain was trying to process. Her eyes were closed as she thrashed her head from side to side. "I want to go home," the blonde begged, tears spilling forth in her slumber. "I want to go home to Callie…"

And then the tears fells from Callie's eyes too, the pain of it all finally catching up to her again. "You're home, baby," she told her beloved wife, running her fingers through Arizona's golden tresses. "You're home and…a-and I'm right here."

Even Miranda Bailey couldn't help the tears that were now burning the back of her eyes. She hated to see anyone in such distress, especially a friend. And now, she had two dear friends fighting for their lives, albeit in very different ways. Arizona was fighting to survive…to get past the trauma…to _live_. And Callie was fighting to keep it all together…for her wife, and Mark, and their child. None of it was fair, and Bailey cursed the universe for doing this to any of them again.

"Is there something- _anything_ I can do?" the older surgeon asked as she once again put a comforting hand on Callie's. "Can I bring you something to eat? I know you won't leave her to go to the cafeteria."

"No. I'm fine," Callie replied, wiping the remnants of her distress from her cheeks. "Meredith brought me something after she left Derek earlier. And she sat here until I ate it, so I'm good."

"What about Sofia?" Bailey inquired, the late hour suddenly dawning on her. She glanced at the clock…eleven forty three. "Well, I guess you've got that covered."

Callie nodded, also checking the clock for the first time in hours. "Babysitter. Luckily, she was available and offered to spend the night so I could stay with Arizona."

Bailey looked over at the cot and realized there was only a crumby sheet draped over the top of it. So she excused herself for a moment, then returned with two nice, warm blankets and a pillow. "Not that you'll use them," she mumbled as she placed the items on the cot.

Callie looked over at her and smiled, even though tears were still streaming down her face. "Thanks, Miranda," she whispered, meeting her dear friend's eyes briefly before turning her attention back to Arizona.

"Hopefully, the anesthesia will wear off soon and she'll wake up," Bailey said, trying to instill a bit of hope. "Then you'll see that everything is going to be okay. Then maybe- just _maybe_, you'll go home and get some rest. You're going to need it to take care of your girls."

Callie thought about going _home_…about the place she once longed to be even more than the operating room.

She thought about the family dinners that would never be the same. How one member of their somewhat strange, but effective parenting triangle may never be joining them at the table again. Mark's surge had given her some hope, but now, just like Arizona's leg, that was ripped away. He was in a coma, and everyone knew the prognosis wasn't good.

Callie's thoughts then wandered to the beautiful, sweet little girl she and Arizona, and Mark had been raising together. How in one day, Sofia went from having an overabundance of parents to, essentially, a single mother. The brunette wasn't so sure she could do it alone. Without Mark, her and Arizona could survive. They could make it work. But Callie couldn't make anything work without her wife, and she honestly didn't know if Arizona would come back to her. She was fairly certain the blonde would recover physically. But spiritually and emotionally, Callie knew Arizona would never be the same.

She wondered what life would be like from now on. She wondered whether she would ever again have the pleasure of worshipping the gorgeous blonde lying before her. No matter what Arizona thought, Callie still found her to be the most beautiful woman on earth. Leg or no leg, Callie still wanted to be with her wife…to touch her, and taste her, and love her.

She was just so grateful that Arizona survived the crash. Although it saddened her immensely, Callie could imagine a world without her best friend and the father of her child. She could imagine a world without Heelies, or sexy stilettos, or two legs wrapped around her naked body. But she could not imagine a world without her soul mate. There was never any choice. Arizona's life had to be saved.

But what if Arizona couldn't forgive her? What if she didn't understand? Callie wondered if her home…her bed…her _life _would remain empty and cold, like they had been for the past fifty one days. Yes, fifty one exactly. It was hard not to count the miserable, lonely nights without Arizona in her arms.

The brunette thought about the perky, overly optimistic woman she had fallen in love with years ago. Surely, that Arizona would have understood. She would have been grateful for her life and found the will to walk again. The old Arizona was full of life and sunshine, very much unlike the woman she had become these past few months. This new Arizona was dark and full of rain clouds, just like the Seattle skies.

"I just want the sunshine back," Callie whispered, unaware her thoughts were coming through her lips. "And there is no sunshine at home anymore. I hate being there."

"Hmmm?" Bailey mumbled, her eyes popping open wide. Since the survivors returned from Idaho, the poor woman had been spending every waking hour at the hospital. Apparently, exhaustion had caught up with her and she had dozed off.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Callie whispered, reaching across the bed to grab Miranda's arm. "You should go home…get some rest."

"That's funny coming from you," Bailey scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'll go home in a bit. But right now, you're gonna tell me what exactly is going on in that head of yours."

"Hmmm," Callie chuckled, shaking her head. "You don't want to know."

"Try me," Bailey replied, sitting up straight in the chair. When Callie stayed silent, the older doctor gave her an evil glare, hoping it would frighten her into talking. No such luck. "You need to talk about it, Callie," she finally pleaded after another stretch of silence.

"Fine," Callie mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was just saying that I hate going home now."

"Well, that's understandable," Bailey said, offering her friend a sympathetic smile. "Your whole life's been turned upside down since the plane crash. Your best friend is umm, umm…yeah, you and I both know what's happening with Mark. And your wife has been stuck in this hospital for months. You must feel alone. But you're not, Callie. You have me, and the rest of us here, and Sofia. You have Sofia."

"Sofia," Callie cried, burying her face in her hands. "She's…sh-she's doomed. It's, it's like her life is doomed already. She's in a major car accident before she's even born. But she survives. And then this…"

"I know, Callie," Bailey whispered, rubbing her friends back. "It's not fair, Callie. But your little girl is tough, just like her two mothers. She will get through this. So will Arizona. And so will _you_."

"Hmm. I'm, not so sure about that," Callie told the other woman, sadness once again sweeping across her face. "You don't get it, Miranda. I'm here, in this Hell with Mark and Arizona all day long…while I'm working. I'm still working, trying so hard to keep them all happy. My patients. Mark…Derek…Cristina. My wife. My baby. I just…I just don't want to be responsible for all of that, you know?"

Bailey nodded her head as she continued to rub small circles over the brunette's back, encouraging Callie to get it all out. "And I can't wait to get out of here everyday. By five o'clock, I've been running back and forth…and worrying…and crying in on-call rooms half the day. I just want it all to end. I want the day to be over. And then, it is. My shift ends and I go pick up Sofia. And for about an hour every night, I forget how horrible life is.

"Oh, Callie," Bailey whined, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I play with my daughter, and cook us dinner, and laugh at Sofia splashing me while she takes a tubby," Callie continued, her fists clenched at her sides. "And we're so tired then. The baby and I are both so, so tired. But then it starts all over. The elevator across from the apartment dings, or there is a knock on a door down the hall. And Sofia calls out for Mark. She hears that damn door and she thinks it's gonna be her daddy. She doesn't understand, Bailey. I can't explain it to her. All my poor Sofia knows is that the daddy she is used to seeing everyday hasn't been around."

Callie sucked in a deep breath, her emotional rant taking all the oxygen from her pained lungs. She looked over at Arizona's face and the tears instantly resurfaced. "And then, there's her mama," Callie said, her voice back down to a whisper. "I know she gets to see Arizona every day at the hospital. You, and Meredith, and the daycare teachers have been so great about bringing Sofia by to visit. But it's not the same. She…sh-she c-can't sleep without her mama. She just cries for Arizona, over and over, and over again…every night. Sometimes it's just for a few minutes. But sometimes, it's hours. Hours of holding my baby and not being able to comfort her. Hours of begging a one and half year old to accept the fact that I'm all she's got right now."

"And you're amazing," Bailey chimed in before Callie could go any further. "You are a great mother, Callie Torres. You are doing everything you can to keep your daughter healthy and happy. That's all you can do."

"But she's not happy, Bailey. None of us are happy," Callie reminded her friend as two sets of brown eyes met. "I want my life back. I want _her_ back," Callie cried, laying her head down on the one leg her wife had left.

Arizona's eyes fluttered open when she felt the familiar weight on her body. "Cal…Callie?" she groaned, blue eyes trying desperately to stay open.

"Arizona?" the brunette exclaimed, her head quickly popping up. "Yes, it's me. I'm right here, honey."

"See. I told you she'd wake up," Bailey whispered, placing a quick, but tender kiss to the top of Callie's head and giving Arizona's hand a squeeze before she turned to leave the room. "Everything _will_ be okay," she said as she reached the doorway, forcing a smile. "You take care of each other."

Callie inhaled sharply and slid her chair as close to her wife as possible. Finally, the moment she had been dreading was upon her. Within minutes, Arizona would learn of the deadly infection that had coursed through her body and threatened to take her life. She would learn of the intubation, and the surgery, and the amputation. She would learn of the decision her wife had made, and therefore, the promise her wife had broken.

But for the brief time that came before the questions, and the heartache, and the blame, Callie simply rejoiced in the fact that her wife was alive. She wrapped her hand around Arizona's delicate fingers and brought them up to her lips. "I'm so happy to see you, baby," she whispered, blinking back another sudden onset of tears.

Arizona used every ounce of strength to smile at her wife, despite the pain she was in. She had no idea what had happened, or what was going to happen in the future. But by the look on her Calliope's face, she was about to get bad news. "Just tell me already," the blonde whispered, baby blues pleading with the rich chocolate they adored.

"I love you, Arizona," Callie professed, kissing her wife's hand once more. "No matter what, please remember that. "I love you so, so much…and I can't live without you."

_**The End**_

A/N: _Wow, so not only was I able to update "Surprises" this week, but Columbus Day gave me a few hours of free time to get a head start on this chapter! Yay! I kind of forgot how much I love to write until I got back in the swing. Probably helps to have this amazing SL on Grey's to use as inspiration. Loving where this season is taking our girls and want to try and keep these chapters going in the same direction, which is why I chose NOT to get into too much of what "might have" happened after AZ woke up. Kind of liked writing from Callie's internal perspective a bit here & figured Bailey would be a good person to use as her support system. LOL…once I got started on this, I just couldn't stop going so the chapter turned out to be a bit longer than I envisioned. But hey, the longer the better right? Hope you think so…and hope you enjoyed this chapter of "Little Moments." Thanks for reading & hope to hear from you all. Tired & hoping for some sleep tonight…my little one is getting molars, ughhhh!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Little Moments: Season 9 **_

_**Fighting For Our Life (Episode 3):**_

Callie returned from the hospital for the second time that evening, her feet trudging slowly through the door to the place that now closely resembled Hell. Why was all of this happening? Why did life have to be so extreme? One minute, she was the happiest woman in the world…so in love with her wife and daughter, her career on the uphill climb to profound success, everything as close to perfect as imaginable. And _now_- now life was far from perfect. Now her best friend was dead. Her wife was disabled. She and Sofia were miserable. Work was just about the only thing Callie Torres looked forward to these days. At least at the hospital, she didn't have to see the wheelchair…or hear the bitterness in Arizona's voice…or feel the sadness when she looked into the now cold, distant baby blues she used to see her whole world in.

The brunette had tried everything she could think of to break down the strong, hard walls of anger and resentment that her wife had built over the weeks since the amputation. She had almost gotten used to being a punching bag…used to letting Arizona take out every frustration on her. She had tried to distance herself from her wife, but Arizona refused to let Callie breathe without the constant reminder of the decision she had made. If Callie was silent, Arizona found a way to provoke her, until each of them were yelling and screaming like two, young and immature lovers during a silly spat. But this was no silly spat.

Callie then tried venturing down another road towards reconciliation. She had begged Arizona to forgive her. Tried, over and over again, to explain how she had been backed into a corner…to explain to her wife that death was the only other alternative to the amputation. But Arizona refused to hear the truth, and the more Callie tried to reach her, the further Arizona ran from reality. Callie had tried to love and comfort Arizona, but the blonde consistently pushed her away. Arizona refused to let her wife in for more than a spilt second here and there, when she occasionally forgot that Callie was the enemy and simply saw her as the woman she adored.

The brunette had felt a glimmer of hope earlier that evening, when she caught Arizona looking at her as she cried in the shower. "This is my life now too," Callie had reminded her wife, after forcing her under the water.

Arizona was well aware of that fact. She was well aware that her disability was making Callie's life almost as difficult as it made her own. And she was even more aware of the mental and emotional pain she was inflicting upon the lost and lonely woman who held her heart. She didn't want to treat Callie the way she had been, but she just couldn't stop herself. Arizona Robbins couldn't stop the anger, and fear, and sorrow that coursed through her veins every waking second of every single day. She hated the hand that life had dealt her, and she needed someone to take it out on. And that person was her wife. _For better or worse_…Callie had promised her. And while Arizona knew that some promises had to be broken, like the one made in her hospital room, she was going to hold her wife to this one. _For better or worse_.

And _this_- this was definitely the worse. If Callie couldn't stay with her through this horribly tough time, then all of the blonde's insecurities would prove true. "She'll never look at me the same way," Arizona often heard herself saying as she looked at her now mangled self in the mirror. "She'll never want me the way she used to want me. And slowly, over time, she'll fall out of love with me. Then she'll leave…find someone whole who can make her happy the way I used to." Every fear…every doubt, slapped Arizona in the face each time her eyes met that awful reflection.

The blonde would cry for hours every morning after her girls left for the hospital. She would think about all of the things she may never get to experience with her daughter. Swimming. Hiking. Running through the park. She certainly couldn't do those things with one leg. And it could take years of training with a prosthetic to achieve full mobility.

She would think of all of the things she may never get to experience with her wife again. Racing to the daycare for lunch. Standing at an OR table together. Making love. Who wants a piece of plastic wrapped around their hips? Certainly not the goddess Arizona Robbins married. Calliope deserved better than that. She deserved more than Arizona thought she could ever give her again.

As the blonde's mind raced with all of these thoughts, the bedroom door slowly creaked open. Callie was home. Arizona wanted to pretend she was asleep, like she did most nights that her wife came home late. But tonight, she couldn't do it. She couldn't pretend.

The words that Callie had spoken in their bathroom a few hours earlier made it impossible for the blonde to continue living the way she had been. Callie was right. It wasn't just Arizona's life on the line here…it was _their_ life, and Sofia's too.

Things wouldn't change overnight, but Arizona made a vow to _try_- try a little bit more and a little harder every day. She would stop fighting with the health care aides. She would go to therapy. She would get fitted for a prosthetic. Because the next time she looked- _really looked_, into those beautiful, brown eyes, she did not want to see what she saw in the shower that night.

"Hey," Callie whispered as she climbed into bed. She knew Arizona was not asleep, even though her back was turned. "We decided not to take the settlement…not that you really care."

The blonde stayed silent for a few moments, wondering what had happened at the meeting she had so adamantly refused to attend. Without so much as moving, Arizona sucked in a deep breath and mumbled, "Why?"

"Why what?" Callie asked, rolling to face her wife's back.

"Why did you change your mind?" Arizona replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I…I-I mean, earlier it seemed like everyone was dead set on taking the money. And, a-and so were you…"

"That was earlier," Callie stated, very matter-of-factly. "Things change."

"What things?" the blonde questioned, craning her neck just enough to catch a glimpse of Callie's face.

"You should have come with me," Callie said, unwilling to explain everything to her wife. If Arizona wanted to know what went down at the meeting, she should have been there herself. Her wife was going to have to get up and start living…or learn to trust her. Either way, Callie was not about to go into the details of why she and the others had decided to pursue the investigation.

"I can't just go out anymore," Arizona muttered, her tone laced with bitterness again. _So much for trying to be better_, she thought, hating herself a little more.

"I know things aren't easy," Callie yelled, rolling over so Arizona didn't see the hurt on her face. "Nothing is easy anymore. But I'm not giving up. And neither are our friends. We're going to find out why that plane went down, and make sure it never happens to anyone else. We're going to fight, Arizona. _I'm_ going to fight…for _you_, whether you like it or not."

Once again, Arizona was silent on the other side of the bed. "God damn it, Arizona. Did you hear me?" Callie screamed, flipping over to meet her wife's back once more. "I said, I'm going to fight for you. Do you hear me? I'm going to fight, every single day, to make our life better. And I hope like hell that you join me, because this battle would be so much easier if you were in it with me."

And like a flood, the tears came rushing down the blonde's face. Maddening quiet filled the air and more than anything, Arizona wished that she could talk to her wife. She wished she could tell her what she was thinking…how she was feeling…how much she loved her and wanted to fight for their life too. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Tears were all that would surface that evening.

Back to back, the two lovers cried themselves to sleep. The bed that they once shared in ecstasy, and comfort, and love was cold and lonely…just like their life. But it didn't have to stay that way. They could heal one another. They could put this all behind them. They could have their life back. All they had to do was keep on fighting. But for now, the battle was over. Darkness had prevailed once more…and it would be a long, hard journey before the dawn.

_**A/N: First of all, I must state the obvious- last night's episode was AMAZING! Sara and Jessica are really putting it all out there & I can't even wait for the other incredible performances we are sure to see this season! The way AZ looked at Cal at the end of the shower scene was just heartbreaking. You can tell she hates to hurt her wife, but I'm sure she feels very powerless. I cannot even imagine going thru such a loss. Because of the way things were left & the promo for next week, I didn't quite know what to do with this chapter. I know there is not much dialogue, but without knowing exactly where the SL is going, I kind of like doing the introspection from both POVs. Hope you enjoyed it, please drop a line to let me know what you thought. Have a great weekend, I know I am looking forward to it!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Little Moments: Season 9 **_

_**Bitter Pie (Episode 4)**_

Callie sat on the couch beside her wife, legs and arms crossed not in defense- but in complete and utter apprehension. The brunette was nervous. Nervous around her own wife. _How ridiculous,_ she thought to herself as she pretended to watchsome stupid baking show that she had been pretending to love for months.

Mark and Arizona loved this crap, so she pretended she did too. Oh…what she would give to have Mark back, forcing his gourmet dishes and expensive bottles of the perfect wine down her throat, and interrupting her sex life with Arizona. What she would give to have her sex life back. Or better yet, just her _life…_and the one person she truly wanted to share it with.

Arizona kept her eyes focused on the television. More than anything, she wanted to glance over at her wife…to see that flawless face…to look into those rich, chocolate orbs that melted her heart. But she couldn't. The guilt was all-consuming, and both her pride and her fear kept her from crossing that barrier. So she just stared straight ahead and pretended to watch the baking show as if it still mattered.

_None of it mattered now_. Mark was dead. There would be no more racing home to cook gourmet dinners, or seeing who could find the best wine, or holding bake-offs in the kitchen. Although it took a lot of time and many battles to get there, Arizona had grown to love Mark in a way that she had really only loved one other person- Timothy. Somehow, after all the ups and downs, Mark Sloan had become the brother her heart had been aching for ever since Tim died. They goofed around- teased one another. They were competitive- challenged one another. They had grown to respect and love one another. They both loved Callie. And more than their own lives, they both loved their little girl.

Arizona felt a swell of emotion course through her system as she thought of Mark- how he would be missed, and all he would be missing. Tears threatened to surface, but she pushed them back…swallowed hard…pretended to clear her throat. For the second time in her life, she had lost her brother. Callie had lost her best friend. Sofia had lost her father.

Sofia…the beautiful little girl sleeping in the bedroom behind them. Arizona's head snapped in the direction of the nursery, although not so much as a peep could be heard over the baby monitor.

"What's wrong?" Callie asked, craning her neck to peer into their daughter's room. "I didn't hear anything. Did…did you hear her?"

Arizona shook her head, baby blues reflected in deep brown for no more than a split second. Still too afraid to really look into those eyes. All the walls may come crashing down then. "I, I-I thought I heard…" the blonde began to lie, her eyes now cast down at the floor. "Never mind. She's…she's okay."

But Sofia wasn't _really_ okay. She was no longer the happy, carefree toddler she used to be- when her father was alive and her mama was actually present. There it was again…_the guilt_. Arizona swallowed hard, thinking of how scared and confused their tiny human must be. And _she_ was the cause of it. _She_ was the one responsible. Anger flared up in her chest again suddenly, like a raging fire burning her soul. Arizona didn't want that kind of responsibility. She could barely be responsible for her own well-being these days. But she had a child. She had a child that she loved more than she ever thought possible…because of _Callie_.

The brunette could feel the hostility coming towards her, without so much as a word or even a look. Arizona's eyes were narrowed at the television screen, but the resentment behind them was directed at her. _It always was_. Callie clenched her fists in nervous anticipation, her skin clammy and her muscles tense. What was Arizona going to say now? What was she going to be blamed for tonight?

Callie kept waiting, her lungs aching with every breath. But Arizona never spoke…never yelled, or demanded, or accused. She just sat there, immersing herself in the intricacies of forming the perfect pie crust. _Like that mattered_. Like there would ever be another fun-filled day of baking, and cookies, and laughter in their home again. _Those days were over. _

A commercial came on the screen for the first time in the ten minutes since the show began, and both women straightened up tentatively. _This was it. _This was the moment that would make or break their night.

Callie turned ever so slightly towards her wife, glancing in Arizona's direction but not really looking at her. _That would be too awkward right now_. The brunette chuckled at the irony of her own thoughts, inadvertently drawing attention to herself.

"What's so funny?" Arizona asked, her tone sharp but not quite as bitter as it had been.

"Nothing," Callie said immediately, another uncomfortable lump keeping her from swallowing. Arizona just raised her eyebrows and turned back towards the television. "So, how…h-how did it go?" the brunette stammered after a long pause, trying to gain the courage to ask her wife about her day.

"How did what go?" Arizona replied, as if she had no idea what Callie was referring to. The blonde knew she could easily answer the question…tell her wife about the trials and tribulations she had faced with her first visit to the prosthetist. But that would mean opening up to Callie. Was she ready to do that? She wasn't quite sure.

"Never mind," Callie answered with defeat, not wanting to push. If Arizona didn't want to talk to her, there was nothing she could do about it. The brunette lowered her eyes to the ground, keeping them fixed on the hard wood despite the fact that _American Bakeoff_ had returned to the screen.

The tension in the air could be cut with much less than a scalpel or a knife. You could feel it. Hell- you could almost _see_ it, floating between two women who used to live and breathe in sync with one another. _Is this the way it would always be? _

"Well…I'm tired," Callie announced, even though the leading contestant was about to cut their first slice of pie for the judges. "Enjoy your show," she mumbled as she tossed the plaid blanket haphazardly behind her and took the empty wine glass from the table. "You want a refill before I leave?"

"Just put the glass and the bottle on the table," Arizona practically ordered as her head darted around Callie's body to see the television.

Callie did as told, pouring red wine right up the rim of her wife's glass. "There. That should last you til the end of the show at least," Callie said with an air of sarcasm, huffing when Arizona barely gave a nod.

The brunette shook her head in anger and frustration, then crossed the room to check on Sofia one last time before leaving. "She should be fine, but I'll take the monitor with me just in case…"

"Don't bother," Arizona mumbled, turning her head to glare at Callie. "She's not crying for _you_ when she wakes up anyway."

"Yeah…like I don't know that," Callie yelled, spinning back around. "Too bad the person she is crying for won't get off their ass and…"

"And what?" Arizona hollered back, shifting so she could really shoot daggers at those warm, chocolate orbs. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Go in there and pick her up? Oh wait…can't lift her out of the crib and balance on _one_ leg. Nope. Maybe…maybe I should wheel myself in there instead. Yeah, that's what I should do. I should wheel myself in and calmly explain to our one year old daughter that I can't pick her up anymore. Can't walk around the room with her like I used to. Can't carry her. Can't rock her. Is that what I should do, Calliope?"

Callie just stood there for a moment, staring into eyes filled with loathing and hatred…the eyes of a woman she no longer knew. "I don't know, okay?" the brunette whispered, tears surfacing despite her best efforts to keep them at bay. "I don't know what you should do. I don't know what _I_ should do anymore."

"Don't do a-anything," Arizona muttered, her voice cracking with emotion. "Just…just _go_."

"I tried to do that forty minutes ago," Callie reminded her wife as the final two bakers happily cheered with victory in the background. "Why didn't you let me leave, like I do every other night? Why did you do this? I…I-I thought that…"

"So did I," Arizona moaned breathlessly, sadness filling her bright blue eyes. "So did I."

For the first time since she was released from the hospital, Callie saw some semblance of regret in her wife's eyes. The blonde stared at her almost apologetically, although Callie knew the much needed words wouldn't be coming out of Arizona's mouth anytime soon.

It didn't matter how many times _she_ had apologized…for breaking that promise, for not being able to help Arizona more when she needed her, for not being able to take all the pain away. _It didn't matter_. Callie was the bad guy right now, and she would continue to play the part as long as her wife needed her to. Because she loved Arizona that much. Because all of this terrible, horrible suffering was worth it if she got the love of her life back. Because there were some promises she vowed never to break. Callie was determined to prove that to her wife, at all costs- even if that meant losing her sanity…her joy…her life. Arizona was worth a thousand battles…a thousand slaps to the face…a thousand lonely nights.

"I'll see you in the morning," Callie whispered, a myriad of unspoken words passing between two lost souls. As deep brown reflected back from bright blue, a glimmer of hope could be seen. No one knew what tomorrow would bring, but what Callie did know was that she'd be there…waiting for her wife to come home.

_**A/N: Not much to say on this chapter really. Having a very bad week, so not feeling up to sharing or anything really. Between the hurricane and some crappy stuff in my personal life, it's been crazy. Life can be a real bitch sometimes…and I guess that's why this "little moment" is a bit darker and more bitter than some of the others. I do feel as if the show could have continued in this way. Let me know what you think, and as always…thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Little Moments: Season 9**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Little Birds and Butterflies (Episode 6):**_

Callie wouldn't be sleeping at Mark's that night. _She couldn't_. Not after seeing her wife at the hospital that day. Not after seeing her wife walk through the door to her and their daughter. Arizona had given the brunette hope that day. Hope that things would get better…that miracles might be possible again…that their life may not be over after all. Maybe life was just beginning for them. A _new_ life- one that would belong to just the three of them now.

If Arizona was willing to try, Callie would be there. She would sleep on the couch, or the floor, or even standing up if it meant being close to her wife that night. She knew she couldn't tell her, but Callie was so proud of Arizona for all she had accomplished that day. She was glad that they had seemed to turn the corner, and she would be eternally grateful to Miranda Bailey for getting the ball rolling. Bailey had done what Callie had only dreamed of for the past few months. She had coaxed their beautiful, little bird into testing out her wings. Arizona had taken flight that day, and Callie's heart soared right along with her.

For a split second, the younger woman had been jealous- jealous that someone else motivated Arizona enough to walk…to get out of the house…to be herself again. But any petty envy was soon replaced with relief…gratitude…hope. It didn't matter who got Arizona to come back, as long as she came back to Callie in the end. They weren't there just yet, but there was hope now. _There was hope_. And love. Above all, there was _love_.

The brunette felt herself starting at her wife during dinner, looking at her in a way she had almost forgotten. Arizona felt it too- felt those big, beautiful brown eyes glistening with love. A part of her wanted to look back…stare into those mesmerizing orbs…fall into the arms she longed for every single day since the plane crash. But she needed to stay strong…keep fighting to get better, sturdier on her feet, more confident. And she couldn't do that if she let her guard down completely.

"So…how was your day, munckin?" Arizona asked Sofia, who was busy slurping a strand of spaghetti.

Sofia smiled as the sauce oozed out of her little mouth. "Yummy, Mama," she mumbled, completely disregarding the question.

"Yes, Mommy is a very good cook. Isn't she?" Arizona whispered, glancing in Callie's direction.

Callie felt an all too familiar lump form in her throat. Except this time, it didn't hurt. This time, it came with the faint flutter of butterflies dancing in the pit of her belly like they always have when Arizona whispered that way.

The brunette swallowed hard and skipped right over the compliment, still afraid to hope too much. "You are making quite the mess, little miss," Callie chuckled nervously as she began to wipe the sauce off the floor.

Arizona got up from her seat and began loading the dishes into the sink. "You're daddy w-was just as messy, Sofia," the blonde said, her voice cracking at the mention of Mark. "Good thing your Mommy doesn't mind cleaning up after people. Sorry about the vase, by the way. I…I tried to get up as much glass as I could."

_Was this really happening? This was too good to be true. "_No…n-no problem," Callie stammered, unsure if she was imagining it all. "I only found one little tiny piece under the couch. As long as you didn't hurt yourself…"

For a brief moment, brown eyes locked with blue and the whole world seemed to spin. Arizona smiled, the hint of a dimple peeking out, and Callie felt as if she might just pass out. Her mind was racing. Her heart was pounding. And those butterflies were still dancing.

"All done," Sofia hollered suddenly, causing eyes to part and heads to whip in her direction.

There was an entire bowl of spaghetti on the floor, and the toddler was practically dripping with sauce that would never come out of that brand new outfit.

"Yes, I think you most certainly are done," Arizona said with a laugh.

Callie laughed too, which caused Sofia to crack up. This was the happiest the baby had been since before her mama and daddy left for Boise what seemed like ages ago. Both Callie and Arizona beamed at their happy little girl, sharing a moment of pure joy.

"Guess I'd better get, g-get her in the tub," Callie said as she started deep into her wife's baby blues again. The brunette didn't trust herself. She had to get out of that kitchen before she lost all control and just grabbed Arizona. One more look, or dimple, or butterfly and that little bird would be covered in kisses, and hugs, and tears.

Arizona felt a lump growing in her throat too, her thoughts mirroring those of her wife's. The longer she looked at the beautiful goddess before her, the harder it was becoming to remember why she couldn't just give up and throw herself into those arms.

"I'll umm…I'll clean up in here," the blonde finally whispered, grabbing the roll of paper towels.

"Really?" Callie asked, surprised at just how normal this evening appeared to be. "I mean…are, are you sure?"

Arizona simply nodded and got to work, her prosthetic moving so in tune with her body that it almost felt like she had two real legs again. _She could do this. _She could make this work. _She had to_. Her life depended on it.

"Great," Callie sighed, so in awe of the woman before her. "I'll just get this munchkin washed up and off to bed, then…"

"No," Arizona interjected, her voice soft and low.

Callie stopped unbuckling Sofia from her high chair and looked up, unsure of what her wife was about to say.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to try and put her to sleep tonight," Arizona mumbled, her eyes cast down to the floor.

The blonde had only just begun to take flight, and she wasn't entirely sure how far her wings would carry her just yet. But her little chick needed her, and if she could muster up the strength and determination to walk herself across the street to Bailey and another little girl, she sure as hell was going to try with Sofia.

"Of course it's alright, Arizona," Callie replied, seeing both fortitude and fear in her wife's eyes.

"Mama," Sofia cried, her arms outstretch for Arizona already.

"Well, it's definitely alright with her," Callie chuckled as their baby bird desperately tried to take off. "Todavía no, mi pequeño polluelo. Patitos para primera…entonces nos pondremos una botella, un chupete, y su mamá. Promesa," Callie whispered in the raven beauty's little ear, promising her she would have all of the things she needed just as soon as her bath was over.

"I'll have you're ba-ba all ready for you when you get out," Arizona told their sweet girl, leaving the messy kitchen for a moment to come and give Sofia a kiss. "Go take a tubby with Mommy, okay?" Sofia nodded in agreement. "I'll be waiting for you."

A little while later, Callie emerged from the bathroom carrying one very clean and very tired little girl. Arizona had taken care of the kitchen just like she would have several months ago, before the accident and the amputation. The dishes were done, the countertop was cleaned, the floor was swept. Everything looked perfect to Callie, especially the adorable woman who had fallen asleep on the couch. This monumental day was catching up with Arizona, and no one could fault her for being exhausted.

"Let's let your mama sleep," Callie whispered to Sofia, who was also beginning to doze off.

"Mama," the baby called out from her semi-slumber, causing Arizona's eyes to open wide.

"Right here, Sofia," the blonde told her daughter as she fumbled around for her cane. "Mama's right here."

"Are you sure you want to do this tonight?" Callie asked tentatively, afraid that the question itself may set Arizona off. But she had to ask. She cared too much not to. The brunette knew her wife was going to jump back into life with both barrels now, but she also knew pushing too hard too fast would only set her back.

Arizona sucked in a deep breath, and for a moment, Callie was sure she was going to get yelled at. She was sure this had all been a dream, and that her wife was going to be transformed into a raging vulture and chew her head off.

But Arizona remained a thriving, little bird. She gathered her strength, found her cane, and stood up. "I'm good,' she announced once she had steadied herself. "It won't take long for her to fall asleep," she said as she took a step towards her sleepy girl. "Come on, sweetheart."

Sofia lifted her head up off of Callie's shoulder and flung herself into Arizona's arms. The blonde's whole body shook for a second, every bone and muscle working on overdrive to gain balance. But she did it. She remained upright, the weight of her body resting on the cane as she settled the little girl onto her hip. She couldn't pace the floor with Sofia just yet, but she had enough strength left in her to sway lightly. It only took a few moments for the baby to fall asleep, and the only tears that evening were those of her two mothers.

Callie had to look away from her wife for a moment so that Arizona didn't see her crying, and so she could pretend she didn't see the joyful tears gathering in those big, blue eyes. The brunette started to walk into the kitchen with Sofia's bottle when she heard a soft moan escape her wife's lips.

"Can, c-can you…w-would you mind taking her?" Arizona asked humbly, her tired wings about to give out.

"Sure," Callie whispered, letting Arizona see the tears. Maybe she needed to. If Callie couldn't tell her, maybe Arizona could at least _see_ how overjoyed she was. And overjoyed was an understatement. Callie was walking on water…floating on air…soaring higher than any bird she had ever seen in the sky. That's what Arizona Robbins did to her. Once again, those butterflies returned.

Arizona had them too. Her heart had skipped a beat the moment Callie's hand rested on her back to gather up their daughter and bring her to bed. One touch…that's all it ever took. The little bird was falling, but she didn't need to be afraid. Callie would be there to catch her. She knew that all along.

"Thanks," Arizona mumbled as she passed Sofia to her mommy and wiped the tear that somehow had escaped.

"No…thank _you_," Callie whispered, brown eyes locked with blue until she reached the doorway to the nursery. "Be right back."

No more than a moment later, the brunette returned to the living room. Silence filled the air, like it had every other evening since Arizona came home from the hospital. But tonight, the silence was peaceful and neither one of them seemed to mind.

Callie sat down on the couch beside her wife, the comfortable silence nearly lulling them both into a blissful state of sleep. Arizona no longer felt the tension she had been burdening them both with for the past several months. In fact, the only discomfort the blonde felt at all was from the prosthetic. She sat up and began rubbing the tender spot below the false limb, deciding it was best to get over any awkwardness she felt in front of her wife. If she wanted her life with Callie back…and if Callie really wanted her, the prosthetic would have to be accepted as part of the package.

"Can I help you get to bed?" Callie asked as she turned her body to face Arizona, trying so hard not to grimace at the red, swollen flesh that was so clearly causing her love pain.

Arizona inhaled sharply, wishing she could ask Callie to spend the night with her…holding her, comforting her, making her feel safe and loved. "Ummm, no…n-no, that's okay. I can get myself to bed," the blonde said, offering her wife a small smile. "Just do me a favor and hit the baby monitor on your way out. Maybe check the volume. Last night I could barely hear Sofia and…"

"That won't be necessary," Callie interrupted, being sure to look right at Arizona when she raised and eyebrow. "I'm not going anywhere tonight. I'll be right here on the couch if _you_…or, or Sofia need me."

"Oh….oh, okay," Arizona mumbled, feeling her cheeks begin to flush. Callie was staying. She didn't even have to ask. Today was turning out to be a good one- a very good one. Maybe her life didn't have to be over after all. Maybe this was just the first step of many that would lead her home.

Once again, the little bird took flight, despite the aching leg that had been seriously overworked that day. Arizona walked on her own until she reached the bedroom doorway, then turned and whispered, "Goodnight, Calliope. Sweet Dreams."

"Yes. I think they will be tonight," the brunette replied, sending her wife to bed with a super magic smile and a belly full of butterflies.

Callie lay awake on the couch, thanking God for the wonderful gift he had bestowed upon her life that day. She sat there and prayed until she heard the familiar sound of Arizona's deep breathing, signaling the blonde had fallen asleep. Then quietly- ever so quietly, she tiptoed to the doorway and cried silent, happy tears as she studied the beautiful, strong, sweet girl she fell in love with. "I love you so much, Arizona," she whispered to her little bird, grateful she was beginning to find her wings again.

A few hours later, the blonde awoke, her eyes popping open wide as the day's events played out in her mind. She was alive. She wasn't buried in the cold, hard ground like her brother, or Mark and Lexie. She was alive and she could walk. She could walk in the door to Callie and their little girl every night, just as she had done that evening.

Unable to control the urge to see her wife's perfect face, Arizona sat up and began to strap her new leg back onto her healing body. This is how life would be now, and that was okay. The blonde took each step with precision and care, as not to wake the sleeping beauty on the couch. Then, just as Callie had done earlier, Arizona stood in the doorway and watched her love sleep. She studied every feature on her wife's face, thanking the God that Callie had put faith in for the two of them. "She's perfect," Arizona breathed into the dark space between herself and heaven. "Thank you for making her just the way she is."

As Arizona climbed back into bed, she could hear the soft snoring of her tiny human across the apartment. She could hear her Calliope breathing peacefully. And she could hear her heart beating, in time with the butterflies and the wings that now refused to stop flapping. Arizona Robbins was flying again…and oh, did it feel amazing.

_**A/N: Okay, so this chapter is clearly much more optimistic and uplifting than the previous one. Perhaps because the episode was so amazing and hopeful and just…yeah, perfect. And perhaps because I got over myself somewhat and decided I would go back to being my happy, life-loving self. I needed a little pity party, so I threw one for about a week and now I'm good. Very excited about what's to come for our girls, thinking Shonda wasn't lying when she said their moment would be great. Cannot wait. Yay for happy Calzona again, hopefully soon! And Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate. I have so much to be thankful for, this year and always. As a writer, please know how thankful I am to all of you who read and take the time to comment. Much appreciation & love. **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Little Moments: Season 9**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Meant To Be (Episode 7)**_

Dinner in the Torres-Robbins household that evening was all too normal. Sofia made an enormous mess, as usual. Glasses of red and white wine were poured and actually enjoyed. A meal was shared, as well as easy conversation. It was almost too good to be true. But it felt right, like that night was meant to happen.

Things had been looking up ever since Arizona began to spread her wings and decided it was time to return to the hospital. She had been doing double therapy sessions for the past few weeks to regain the strength she would need to stand on her feet all day. She had been doing things around the house in an effort to try and contribute. She had finally seemed to realize what her wife had known all along- that she was still more than capable of living a normal, happy life without her leg.

Callie had a smile that was beaming from ear to ear as she sat and listened to the blonde recount the story of her first day back to work. She had to really try and listen to what Arizona was saying, because of course she cared about every word. It was just so hard to concentrate when she happened to catch the light shining from those baby blues…or see the hint of a dimple peeking out from behind that gorgeous smile.

"And that's when it happened," Arizona announced, the sudden change in her tone causing Callie to snap out of her love-struck daze and pay attention again.

The brunette gave her wife a perplexed look, giving herself up. Yes, she had been caught staring.

Arizona giggled, her cheeks flushed as she stared back into the big, brown eyes she adored. "That's…that's when I fell."

"Oh…right," Callie mumbled, a bit embarrassed she hadn't been listening to what was likely an important part of her wife's day.

"Anyway, you should have seen the look on Karev's face," Arizona continued, smiling over at Sofia as she tried desperately to get the spoonful of yogurt into her mouth. "Yes, you should have seen Uncle Alex, honey. He looked like a deer in headlights."

"Well, can you blame him?" Callie asked as she began to clear the counter. "I would have been a complete wreck if I saw you fall down."

"Yes, well…but, you're my wife," the blonde stated, wiggling her eyebrows a bit flirtatiously. "I would have been a damsel in distress to you."

"My," Callie said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Hmmm?" her wife questioned, eyebrows now furrowed in confusion.

"_My_ damsel in distress," the brunette whispered, their eyes locked for a moment. "And yes, it would have been very distressing."

"Well, no need to distress," Arizona said, shaking her head as she began to clean up the very adorable, messy toddler beside her. "Whoa, Sof…did you even get any dinner into you?"

"Here, let me take care of that," Callie said as she made her way towards their daughter.

"No. I've got it," Arizona replied, reaching across the counter to squeeze her wife's hand.

Once again, blue eyes met brown…and in that moment, Callie knew that everything was going to be okay. Not just that night, but their whole life. It would all be okay, because her love was coming back to her.

Arizona couldn't help but notice the sigh of relief that escaped her wife's lips as the brunette went back to doing the dishes and left her to care for their little girl. She wanted so much to apologize for all the pain she had caused Callie in the months since the accident. She wanted to tell her how much she loved her…how grateful she was to have Callie in her life, by her side through it all. But the words just wouldn't come out. They were trapped, just as Arizona had been until recently. Maybe the words weren't necessary. Callie had to know how she felt. At least, that's what Arizona convinced herself that evening.

"So, how was it picking Sofia up today?" the brunette asked, drawing Arizona out of her thoughts. "I was really surprised when they told me you had come to get her already."

"It was fine," the blonde replied, forcing a smile despite the lump of guilt that remained in her throat. "Actually, it was funny…"

"Why is that?" Callie inquired as she dried her hands on the dishtowel and came to join her girls in the living room.

"Well, I started getting all of Sofia's things ready when I got to her classroom," Arizona began. "You know, packing up her lunchbox…getting her blanket, and leopard, and chupo. And that new teacher…I think her name's Cindy- she asked me if I needed a hand."

"And just how is that funny, exactly?" the brunette asked as she took out a ball and rolled it to Sofia. "Yay, you got it," she exclaimed when the little girl grabbed the ball and pushed it back in her direction.

"I told her no thanks…that I had it," Arizona said, continuing her story. "But I told her that if she had a leg, I'd take one of those."

Callie's jaw dropped, her eyes wide with shock.

Arizona chuckled, stretching her good leg to pull the wandering ball back into their little circle. "It's okay, honey. You can laugh."

The brunette was silent for another moment, her mind working to comprehend how her wife went from bitter hostility when it came to her missing leg, to cracking jokes and acting like it was the most natural thing in the world to have a disability. Part of her wanted to cry, not because she was sad or felt sorry for her wife. But because she was over the moon that the old Arizona was showing up more often than not nowadays.

She wanted to cry and hug the woman beside her, then take her to bed and show her that she was still the most beautiful creature in the whole world. But that would be too much in one night. Making love wasn't meant to happen just yet. So instead, Callie laughed with her wife. She laughed until the tears came anyway, three happy ladies cracking up as they sat on the living room floor.

"Yes, that's a very funny story…isn't it, Sofia?" the brunette choked out, the laughter finally subsiding. "Mama is so silly."

"Yes, I've…I've b-been acting very silly for quite some time now," Arizona stammered, taking on a more serious tone as she looked deep into the rich, chocolate orbs she adored.

"But we still love her, don't we?" Callie said, looking away from her wife before the real tears began. "We love Mama no matter how silly she is."

Sofia got up from her spot on the floor and ran straight into Arizona's arms, hugging her tight. Callie's heart felt like it was melting as she watched the two loves of her life. Suddenly, everything felt right again. She couldn't explain how they got there, or why it was happening now, but that night was just meant to happen. Just like her and Arizona were meant to be. No matter what, they would always be together- the universe just wouldn't have it any other way.

_**A/N: Hope you liked this little moments chapter. Started on it right away after last night's amazing episode. So many good things happening, for our girls, Mer/Der, and also myself! Life is pretty great right now, loving the holidays and the magic Santa brings to our household. Kids are super excited this year, makes it really fun. Pretty sure Toys R Us has gotten half of our life savings, LOL…but you know. Anyway, really looking forward to the next few episodes. Should give us all lots more to swoon over and write about…yay! Wishing all of you a very happy, healthy holiday season. Enjoy this special time with the ones you love, and thanks for being a part of my world!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Little Moments: Season 9**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Wedding Woes (Episode 9):**_

*** A/N: So I know that I have been MIA for a while, but there has been a lot of stuff (some good, some not so good) going on in my life. I am quite behind on my little moments, but I hope you all continue to read when I can post them. This one takes place after Bailey doesn't show for her wedding, but before Callie and Arizona try to rekindle their flame. It might seem a little out of place since it doesn't follow the SL exactly, but I started this chapter right after ep. 9 aired. Hope you like it anyway & hope you are all doing well. On to the chapter…**

After a moment of silence and a very awkward conversation with Ben, the bridal suite had turned from a room full of happy anticipation to a painstakingly quiet Hell. One by one, Miranda Bailey's family members picked up their cell phones and began the task of calling her once more. People were pacing the room, tears filling some eyes while others couldn't even try to mask their rage. Eventually, the Bailey clan ushered out of the suite, leaving just the three bridesmaids to discuss what had happened.

"Do you really think she ran?" Meredith asked, nervously fidgeting with her bracelets. "It just doesn't seem like something Bailey would do. Leaving Ben at the alter? I think she has a lot more respect than that. Why wouldn't she have called it off before all these people got here?"

"I don't know," Arizona chimed in, using the arm of the couch to help herself stand. "Maybe Bailey wouldn't have called it off at all if _someone_ hadn't convinced her that marriage sucked."

"Arizona…" Callie moaned, stretching to try and grip her wife's hand. But the blonde was adept enough with her prosthetic now to get away before even one caramel finger brushed her skin.

"Don't," Arizona warned, shooting daggers with her cold baby blues. "Don't you Arizona me. You're the one who told Bailey that marriage was…what did you call it? A dance of death?"

"Yes, but I was kidding," Callie replied, a beautifully sad frown taking over her face.

In all honesty, the sadness was mixed with a bit of guilt. Some of the things she had told Miranda weren't exactly a lie. Cleaning up Arizona's pee off the floor…the war zone in their bed. Those were the not-so-fun parts of marriage. But that didn't mean Callie didn't still want to be married to her wife. She couldn't imagine life without Arizona as her partner anymore, and she would never have left her- marriage or not.

"Arizona, please," Callie begged as she took a tentative step in the blonde's direction.

"No. No, Callie," Arizona said, closing her eyes to avoid those puppy-dog eyes. "I am not getting into this here, with Bailey's family out there trying to find her and Meredith…"

But when blue eyes opened again, there was no Meredith to be seen. The younger doctor had enough sense to get the hell out of that bridal suite before things got heated.

"Great. Looks like you've scared off another one," Arizona mumbled, turning her back to Callie once more.

The blonde walked slowly to the window and just stared out into the crisp, sunny winter's day. Today was supposed to be a good one. She had resolved that it would be. She had worn the damned flat shoes, and put on the gown, and even spent time doing her makeup.

Arizona, too, had been feeling guilty. Guilty that her leg had seemingly taken over everyone's life. Guilty that she had been putting her wife through the ringer all these months. Guilty that Callie- her gorgeous goddess- had been left to pleasure herself for five solid months. But that guilt was founded when she thought her wife actually stayed with her out of _love_…not out of responsibility. Now Arizona wasn't so sure. And that hurt like hell.

Callie heard the sad sigh escape her wife's lips, and her heart felt like it was about to break. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry," she whispered, quietly approaching Arizona. "I never, ever meant that I didn't want to be with you. I love you, Arizona. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. It's just…things have been so hard. Sometimes, I don't even feel like we're married anymore."

"What?" Arizona breathed out, turning her head ever so slightly to catch Callie's gaze. "How can you say that? I've…I've been trying so hard to be normal. I stopped sleeping in the hospital bed so I could be closer to you. I, I-I kiss you goodnight and goodbye in the morning. I know it's not sex, but I'm just not…"

"You're just not ready," Callie supplied, knowing what her wife was about to say. "Yeah, I get it. You have a whole new image to deal with, and I'm sure that's tough. I'm sure it just blows, no matter how you look at it. But for me…I'm just, I'm just so grateful that you're still here. That's all that's ever mattered to me. You're still here- still alive for me to love. But you, y-you won't let me love you. And I'm not talking about sex, Arizona. You won't let me hold you…or, o-or touch you…or allow my lips on yours for more than a split second."

"You don't get it," Arizona mumbled, staring back out the window. "You're still gorgeous, and perfect, and…a-and whole. I'm not whole anymore. I lost a part of myself, Callie. And I don't just mean my leg. You have no idea what it was like out there…"

"Because you won't tell me," Callie interrupted, raising her voice in frustration. "You don't talk to me about anything anymore. When you first came back, you were so hurt- physically and emotionally. And I figured it would take time. I knew you would push all the trauma of what happened in the woods aside and focus on your leg. But it's been months now, and you haven't once told me about that week you were gone. Everything I know is from the others…or, or from the lawsuit. You talk to lawyers about what you went through, but not your own wife. It's…it's like I'm the last person on earth you want to talk to about it."

"You are," Arizona screamed, causing a few passers by to glare into the room. The blonde took a deep breath, then grabbed her cane and slowly crossed the room to close the door.

Callie was standing there with her head down, tear-filled eyes cast towards the floor. "I'm sorry," Arizona whispered, tentatively reaching a hand out towards her wife. "I'm not keeping things from you to hurt you, Cal. I'm keeping them from you to protect you."

"Protect me?" Callie questioned, eyes suddenly raised from the floor and brows furrowed. "You're the one who was in a plane crash. You're the one who's been scarred emotionally…and injured…and lost so much. I'm the one who should be protecting you. That's all I've been trying to do- protect you, and comfort you, and just _love_ you."

"I know that," Arizona conceded, baby blues also filling with tears. "And believe me, there are times that I want to tell you every detail about what happened out there. But I don't want to re-live it, and I certainly don't want to put those same horrible images that are always in my head into _yours_."

"I can handle it, Arizona," Callie told her, taking a step closer to her wife. "Believe me, nothing- not even the truth- can be worse than what I pictured in my own mind that week you were missing. Do you have idea what those days were like for _me_? Not knowing if you were suffering somewhere. Or worse- if you were dead. Every imaginable scenario played out in my head from the moment Owen knocked on my door until I got the phone call that they had found you alive. It may not come anywhere close to what you experienced, but _believe me_, I was suffering that week too."

"I know you were," the blonde admitted, a lone tear managing to escape when she looked into those intensely sad, brown eyes. "And it might not seem like to it you, but I _am_ grateful that I made it back here to you and Sofia. Any time I was afraid, or in pain, or so hungry I thought I would die, I pictured our baby's beautiful little face. I heard her contagious laughter. I heard your voice. And smelled your shampoo. And pictured your legs wrapped around my body. I felt you inside of me. That's the only reason I survived that plane crash."

"Oh, baby…" Callie whined, her own tears starting to fall.

"So see- you were protecting me," Arizona continued. "You were comforting me and loving me. And you're still doing all of those things, even if it doesn't always feel that way."

Callie thought about her wife's words for a moment, silence filling the air. Just when she was about to close the gap between herself and Arizona…just when she was about to go for broke and pull the woman she loved into her arms, there was a loud knock on the door.

Arizona, who was a bit startled by the sound, whipped around and threw the door open. "Oh…hey, Meredith," she said, inviting the younger doctor back into the room.

"Looks like Ben has an announcement to make," Grey said, flashing each of them a small smile before turning on her heels. "Figured I would let you know."

"Thanks," the blonde called after her, releasing a heavy sigh as she wiped her tear-stained cheeks. "Guess we'd better go see what happened with Bailey."

"Yeah, guess so," Callie replied, part of her disappointed that she and Arizona wouldn't get to finish their conversation, and part of her relieved to get out of there.

The brunette held her hand out for her wife as she held the door open, hoping that against all odds, Arizona would take it. And she did…

_**A/N: Glad to be back, even if just part time. My teaching schedule has increased, so I haven't too much time to write anymore. But I will whenever I can. And for all of you who have followed my own personal journey, I am finally pregnant! Yay, about 4 months along now…due in summer. We are very happy, but I have been having a rough time of it…so again, just one more thing that has prevented me from doing things. Anyway, I really hope this new year has found you all well & happy. Greys has been wonderful, IMO, and I have loved seeing Callie & Arizona's journey this season!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Little Moments: Season 9**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and storylines. Those all belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

_**Right Here Waiting (Episode 10):**_

The car ride home from Bailey's wedding was almost silent, with the exception of the radio and the contented sighs breathed into the air. Callie had to try quite hard to keep her hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road. This day had turned out much better than expected, both for her dear friend, Miranda, and for herself and Arizona.

Earlier that morning, the brunette's heart had been filled with the same quiet angst that had been burdening it for months. Guilt…anger…resentment…loneliness- these were the things that life seemed to offer in abundance these days. Not the love, and joy, and happiness it had teased her and her wife with for all but one year between the car accident and the plane crash.

But suddenly- today, things were different. There was hope. And understanding. Callie blinked, then glanced over at the beautiful blonde beside her. _How could Arizona ever really think she would run? _Yes- they had surely had their ups and downs since the amputation, but it was all just a part of their life…_together_. The brunette had meant every word she said that afternoon. There was no way she was leaving her wife's side.

Another nervous breath was released into the space beside her, and Callie finally gained the courage to look into Arizona's eyes again. "You okay?" she inquired, offering the blonde a smile before turning her attention back to the road.

"Yeah. I'm good. Great, actually," Arizona replied, smiling back at Callie as she reached a hand out to tuck a strand of hair behind the brunette's ear. "Today was…just, j-just _amazing_."

"Yes. It certainly was," Callie agreed as she pulled into their parking garage. Now that she no longer had to be responsible for their lives, she could really give Arizona her full attention. "I can't remember the last time we spent a whole day away from the hospital- just the two of us. Don't get me wrong, I love our days off with Sofia, but…"

"No…I get it," Arizona interjected as she removed her seatbelt and shifted to face her wife completely. "Believe me, I love our baby girl too…but it's nice to have some grown up time every once in a while."

"Yeah, guess we haven't had much of that lately," Callie said. "And now that Mark;s gone…"

Callie stopped there, not wanting anything to ruin their perfectly nice day. "Let's not think about that, okay?" she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Arizona squeezed her wife's hand, their eyes locked.

"It's only eight o'clock," Callie continued. "We still have a few hours of grown up time left. Or…or maybe some more junior high time? If..I-if you're up to it."

Arizona loved the blush that took over her wife's beautiful, caramel skin. Dimples peeked out from behind the blonde's wide grin as she nodded slowly. "I would love to revisit junior high again," she whispered as she leaned in for a kiss.

Electricity filled the car, and before either of them realized it, the women were making out in the front seat. It was only when one of their neighbors passed by the car and stared disapprovingly, that they decided it was time to head in.

"Did you see Mrs. O'Reilly's face?" Arizona said with a chuckle.

"Kinda hard to miss," Callie replied as she took her wife's hand and lead her to the elevator. "Bet her husband would have enjoyed it though."

The two lovers were still laughing when they entered the apartment, the melodious sound loud enough to wake the babysitter.

"Oh, sorry," Claudia said as she sat up on the couch. "I was reading and I must have dozed off. Sofia's been asleep for about an hour now."

"Don't worry about it," Arizona said, patting the young woman on the back. "Thanks again. Hope she was good."

"As always," Claudia replied, gathering her things. "See you guys soon."

"We'll be in touch," Callie said with a smile as she handed Claudia a check. "Thanks for taking such good care of our girl."

"My pleasure," Claudia said as she left the apartment, closing the door behind her.

After checking on the beautiful, little angel asleep in her crib, Callie and Arizona filled a couple of wine glasses and sat down on the couch.

"Bailey really did look beautiful today, didn't she?" Arizona asked as she sipped her white wine.

"Yes…gorgeous," Callie said, once again staring into the endless ocean of blue before her. "Not nearly as beautiful as you though…"

Now it was the blonde's turn to blush, her porcelain cheeks filled with sudden warmth.

"I love you, Calliope," Arizona whispered after a moment of blissful silence. "Thank you for…"

"Shh," the brunette instructed, placing a finger upon the soft, pink lips she adored. Brown eyes continued to gaze into baby blues as Callie inched her way closer to her wife.

"I love you too, Arizona," she said, her eyes welling with emotion. "And I'm right here, baby- whenever you need me…or _want_ me."

"I always need you," the blonde sighed, fighting back her own tears. "And even though I'm not ready to do it all just yet- believe me, I _want _you. I just hope junior high Arizona is enough for you."

Arizona looked down at the floor, embarrassed once again at her inability to be completely intimate with her wife. She wanted so badly to give all of herself to the woman she loved, but it just wasn't that simple.

"Did you hear me?" Callie asked, raising her voice as she lifted Arizona's chin to meet her loving eyes again. "I love _you_. I'll take whatever part of you that you can give. And I'll still be here- _waiting_- whenever you _are_ ready to let me love you all the way again. Okay?"

"Okay," Arizona replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm just gonna shut up and kiss you now…"

Callie smiled that breathtaking smile and pulled her wife in close. Both her lips and her soul were ready for that kiss, and she poured every ounce of love she had into Arizona's beautiful mouth.

The brunette no longer cared about having sex, or how long it would take to get there again. Just like a teenage girl, she just wanted to love and be loved in return. And while Arizona could not freely give Callie her body, she had given her her heart. Just as she had done the first time she whispered _I love you_…and agreed to have babies…and spoke the promise of forever on their wedding day.

Fingers and tongues continued to make that promise, over and over again, until well after the stroke of midnight. Both ladies looked up at the clock then, realizing they should probably get to bed.

"Meet me in the locker room after gym tomorrow?" Arizona teased as she led Callie into their bedroom.

"I'll be waiting for you," the brunette replied as she climbed into bed beside her wife, loving arms reaching out to hold her.

_**A/N: The little GA hiatus has proved at least somewhat effective, in that I've spent that time writing. Yay, missed doing these little moments more than I realized. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, looking forward to writing more when I can. And definitely looking forward to seeing our girls rekindle their romance in the upcoming weeks! Hope Shonda doesn't let us down…**_


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